Furniture leg shoe



NOV. 8, 1938. R. E MlLLER FURNITURE LEG SHOE Filed April 12, 1937 Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to devices for use in connection with furniture legs and serving to shield the floor or floor covering from being damaged by furniture legs and to make more 5 easy and to reduce noises associated with the moving of furniture. In particular, it relates to devices of this type that are capable of movement relative to the furniture leg and in one of its phases it relates to a furniture leg shoe adapted both for attachment to a furniture leg and for use as a caster cup.

Among the objects of my invention is the provision in a furniure leg shoe of a construction permitting ready attachment of the shoe to a 16 furniture leg without the use of special tools or special precautions; the provision in a furniture leg shoe of a construction including a yieldable member that is securely but removably held in a floor engaging member; the provision in a fur- 20 niture leg shoe of a member removably held in a floor engaging member, the association, being effected in a manner that will prevent accidental separation of the parts and yet will permit their relative movement or separation when desired; 25-the provision in a furniture leg shoe of yieldable means intermediate the floor engaging portions and the furniture leg engaging portions; and the provision in a furniture leg shoe of a floor engaging member that is separable from other portions of the shoe and is adapted. for receiving an element whereby it may be converted into a caster cup.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear or be 35 ;pointed out, I have illustrated several embodiments of my invention in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section of a furniture leg shoe;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the furniture leg 40- sh0e of Figure 1 with portions thereof broken away;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the parts constituting the furniture leg shoe of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view partly in section of a modified form of furniture leg shoe;

Figure 5 is a view partly in section of a further modified form of furniture leg shoe;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the furniture leg shoe of Figure 5 with portions thereof broken away; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a caster cup utilizing as one of the elements thereof, an element of the furniture leg shoe shown in Figure 1.

Among the properties desirable in a furniture leg shoe is that of adjustability relatively to the furniture leg to which it is attached, so that when the latter is angled in relation to the floor the shoe will continue to squarely engage the floor while angling in relation to the leg, without breaking or separation of the parts thereof under ordinary conditions of use, and another desirable property is that of ready attachability without the use of special tools.

These and other desirable properties are possessed by the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In these figures is shown at I a floor engaging member or cup provided with a Wide, flat floor engaging surface l2, and this member is shown as hollowed out and as receiving in its hollow a resilient, compressible and yieldable element l4. While the floor engaging member Ilrmay be madeof some hard, unyieldable and smooth substance, such as Bakelite, the inner element l4 may be made of any suitable or preferred substance having the properties heretofore enumerated, such as indiarubber.

It will be observed that the hollow or recess of member ID is so contoured in relation to the side walls of element l4 that there are no obstructions preventing their separation. In the drawing the element 14 has walls that in general are cylindrical, and the walls of the recess in member H] are also cylindrical, and it will further be observed that the diameter of the floor-engaging surface l2 exceeds that of the member I4.

The inner element i4 is shown as having a centrally located recess IS in its lower wall, and its lower rim portions are cut away, as indicated at l8, whereby air spaces are provided between the inner walls of the member I0 and the walls of the element l4. Recesses 20 are shown arranged peripherally on the element l4, and when the element I4 is inserted into the member ID these form closed spaces. The same is true of the space formed at the cut-away portions l8 and the recess Hi.

The element l4 preferably is so related dimensionally to the member ID that it can only enter the same under slight compression, so that once these parts are assembled there will be a resistance against their separation due to the resiliency of the material of which element I4 is constituted. This resistance to separation is enhanced by the provision of the recesses l6, I8 and 20. When an attempt is made to separate the parts l4 and 16, which attempt to separate of course results in movement of the parts relatively to each other, the air in the said air spaces becomes attenuated and causes a suction effect resisting the separation. The slightly enlarged diameter of the element I4 relative to the hollow of the cup-shaped member Ill and the construction of the element M from relatively soft rubber or the like, causes a slight compressing action on the periphery of the element l4 when the latter is inserted into the cup-shaped member ID which will have the' indicated in dotted lines, and which socket fits into a bore in a furniture leg indicated in dotted lines at F.

By referring to Figure 1, the manner of application and the functioning of my furniture leg shoe will become apparent. In applying the furniture leg shoe to the furniture leg, it is merely necessary to insert the socket 28 into the bore, and to insert the pin 22 into the socket 28. The pin may be driven into place by hammering on the floor engaging surface of the member ID. As a result of such hammering the element [4 will be compressed until the member H] strikes the head 24, whereby the hammer blow will be transmitted to the head 24, resulting in a driving of the pin 22 into place in the socket.

When the furniture leg shoe is in use, it is obvious that any tilting of thefurniture leg out of its upright position, indicated in Figure 1, will serve to compress the element M on one side and to lift it on the other side and thereby the member l9 and element l4 move relatively to each other and the furniture leg may tilt while the member 14 still remains flat against the. floor. Were it not for the resistance due to the resilient,

compressional engagement between the element l4 and the member ID, and the suction effect herein above described due tothe air spaces I6, I8 and 20, disengagement of the element I4 from the member Ill might be effected by said lifting' action. However, with the parts properly designed, the resistance will be sufficient to prevent such separation against ordinary tilting movement of the furniture leg. At the same time due to the cylindrical configuration of the interengaging surfaces, the member 10 and element 14 move relatively to each otheron the lift side; this movement however is delayed by friction and by the air spaces [6, I8 and 20. I

It will be understood of course, that the effects described may be attained by contours of the element I4 and the member In other than those disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Figure 4, for instance, shows a modified form of furniture leg shoe in which the outer member is contoured differently from the member ID shown in Figure 1 to which it corresponds. It will be observed that the base of member 40 is shown flared outward and that the hollow thereof is provided with a recess 42 which is positioned below the step or shoulder 54.

The inner element 46 is, in general, contoured complementarily to the hollow of member 40. It is shown as provided on its lower surface with a central recess 48 adapted to receive and to seat the head 50 of an attaching spike or nail 52.

Suction openings 54 are shown provided in the periphery of element 46.

This form of the invention has an advantage of greater cheapness over Figure 1 due to the substitution of the inexpensive attaching nail for the swivel construction, and it will be observed that it functions in substantially the same manner as the form of Figure 1.

In Figures 5 and 6 I show a modified form of my invention in which a floor engaging member '50, having a wide floor engaging surface 62, is shown as provided with a central opening that may be described as formed by two conical frusta 64 and 66 facing in opposite directions and merging at their narrow ends. A compressible, resilient element 68, which may be made of any suitable or preferred material, such as indiarubber, is shown as fitting intothe lower portion 64 of the opening, and as being tapered to conform to the taper thereof, and a second compressible, resilient element 10, also tapered, is shown as seated in the portion 66 of the opening of member 60, its taper being complementary tothat of the portion 68. The members 68 and 10 are shown as spaced from each other. Passing through openings in the elements 68 and 10 is an attaching member 12 shown as in the form of a wood screw, although obviously, it may be of any other form such as the spike 52 of Figure 4 or the pin 22 of Figure 1, or any other suitable or preferred form of attaching member. It will be observed that the screw 12 is supported yieldab-ly in relation to the floor engaging element 60, so that it permits angular movement of the shoe in relation to a furniture leg into which the screw'li is inserted. It will further be observed that this form of furniture leg shoe also is very conveniently attached to a furniture leg since the attaching element is always accessible without the necessity of separating the parts of the shoe, whether such attaching element is a screw, as illustrated, or a spike or pin, as shown in 'Figures 1 and 4. In the latter forms, where a hammer must be used, it is obvious that the element 10 will yield under the blow of a hammer against the face 62 of member 60 until the hammer engages the attaching element.

It will also be observed that the floor engaging surface is of such width that it extends beyond the projection of the resilient member 10 thereon. Consequently the effect of tilting of the leg will be to distort the resilient member 10 and to cause a compression thereof on one side and a lifting on the other, which lifting may ultimately result in lifting that portion of the member 10 out of its seat 56. Such lifting and distortion however, will be resisted by the suction created by the attenuation of air between the members 68 and 10.

In Figure '7 I have shown another phase of my invention. I have there illustrated an outer member 10, as in Figure 1, but separated from the element 14, which latter. is shown as replaced by a cup-shaped element 80, which is yieldable and resilient and shaped so as to fit into the hollow of the member ll) under the slight compression so that it will resist separation from the member ID. In order to obtain the suction effect mentioned in connection with the foregoing forms of my invention air spaces, such as an annular space 82 may further be provided, the air space 82 being shown as due to a shaping of the element so that its contour departs slightly from the contour of the hollow within the member H1. The assembly just described may be referred to ill as a caster cup and is conveniently used for the reception of a caster, such as the one indicated in dotted lines at 84, or similar device, carried by a furniture leg.

While I have herein described several illustrative embodiments of my invention and indicated the operation and the manner of use thereof, it will be understood that my invention may be embodied in many other forms, such as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein is intended to be by way of illustration merely and is not to be construed in a limiting sense, and that I do not limit myself in any way other than as called for by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A furniture leg shoe provided with a hollow member having a fiat lower surface adapted to contact with the floor without marring it and having a hollow therein provided with cylindrical side walls, an element of compressible resilient material having substantially cylindrical side Walls, and adapted for insertion into said hollow member, and contoured and dimensioned so as to engage the inner walls of said hollow member under slight pressure, an attaching device passing through said element, said device being provided with a flat head, a recess formed in the under Wall of said element and positioned and dimensioned so that the head of said device is adapted to contact the upper wall of said recess and to leave an air space beneath said head, and recesses provided in the periphery of said element, said peripheral recesses being closed by the contact between the walls of said member and said element, and the m of said element within said hollow member being so close as to contract the sides of said peripheral recesses whereby removal of said element from said member will be resisted.

2. A furniture leg shoe provided with a floorengaging member having a hollow space therein with vertically upstanding side walls, an element of resilient compressible material in said hollow space, and contoured and dimensioned so as to closely engage the walls surrounding said hollow space when the shoe is in use, said element having peripheral recesses therein constructed for lateral contraction of the sides thereof when in place and to resist relative separation of said member and element, an attaching device passing through said element, and said attaching device being provided with portions adapted to distort said element when said device is moved relatively thereto.

3. A furniture leg shoe provided with a hollow member having a flat lower surface adapted to contact with the floor without marring it, and having a hollow therein provided with cylindrical side walls, an element of compressible resilient material having substantially cylindrical side walls, and adapted for insertion into said hollow member, and contoured and dimensioned so as to engage the inner walls of said hollow member under slight pressure, an attaching device passing through said element, said device being provided with a fiat head, a recess formed in the under wall of said element and positioned and dimensioned so that the head of said device is adapted to contact the upper wall of said recess and to leave an air space beneath said head, and recesses provided in the periphery of said element, said recesses being closed. by the contact between the walls of said member and said element, and the fit of said element within said hollow member being so close as to contract the sides of said peripheral recesses whereby removal of said element from said member will be resisted by a suction effect.

4. A furniture leg shoe comprising a cupshaped floor engaging member having a hollow therein, and an element of resilient compressible material fitted in said hollow and substantially filling the same and conforming to the contour thereof, the inner walls of the hollow extending substantially in straight lines from the bottom to the top thereof with the diameter of said hollow at the top thereof at least as great as at the bottom or at intermediate points thereof whereby the resilient element may slide axially relative to the cup-shaped member, said resilient element having one or more recesses in the periphery thereof, the sides of said recesses being contracted upon insertion into the cup-shaped member to resist relative removal.

ROBERT E. 

